1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to child's educational toy, specifically a toy which simulates a remote control that incorporates lights and sound.
2. Description of Prior Art
Remote controls are today a very common item in most households. However their potential for use primarily as a toy and educational device has not been pursued.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,569,509 to Leedy (1926) presents a device which simulated sound. However this is a simulated radio and it doesn't use any light features. U.S. Pat. No. 2,314,092 to Kelly (1943) shows an apparatus for artificially producing different sound effects that may be used by children in their teens for putting on their own home broad cast of a radio program. This device is too large to be easily transportable or hand held. Its complexity (requires an external power supply) also excludes use by children in their preteen years. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,131 to Okuda (1988) the inventor presents a driller providing light and sound stimuli for stimulating the visuosensory and audio sensory nerves for use in the rehabilitation process of post apoplectic paralytic patients. While this device does have light and sound features it is designed for a very specific use. In addition its size and complexity exclude its use by preteen children as an educational toy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,367 to Park (1996) presents a hand held, battery operated remote control with key lighting for controlling an appliance from a remote location. This device contains what are the standard characteristics of most household remotes. However it has no capability of producing sound and no application as an educational toy. In addition the battery chamber is secured in a manner that allows easy access for adults but pose a safety problem for children under the age of ten.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,274 to Knutson presents a device which provides combined speaker and key pad functions in a radio assembly. This invention requires a radio (transceiver) for use, and performs very specific function related to a radio. It has no direct application as a toy or educational device and does not generate it's own sound. Any sound emitted by this device must be generated by the radio (transceiver). The sound actuation keys in this device control the radio volume only.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,687 to Sutton the inventor presents a device to remotely monitor security systems with audio monitoring capabilities and a universal operator interface for providing monitoring. This device has no application as an educational toy and requires a telephone system to be operational.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,259 to Brusky shows an apparatus for mapping remote control buttons onto keyboard stroke combinations. This device is not a self contained portable unit, with it's own light and sound features. This invention is specialized in it's design to interface between a computer and other electronic devices found in a home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,745 to Mustelier presents an electrical chess game with optical display elements for displaying chess symbols in response to electrical signals from a digital memory entered by a keyboard. This invention has no sound emitting elements.